Weird News

Astronomers Ignore People's Pick for Pluto Moon Name

(NEWSER) – Though Star Trek fans (led by William Shatner) overwhelmingly won an online vote to name one of Pluto's recently found moons "Vulcan" earlier this year, the International Astronomical Union has decided against the moniker. It has named the former planet's fourth and fifth moons "Styx" and "Kerberos," instead, Space.comreports. "The IAU gave serious consideration to this name, which happens to be shared by the Roman god of volcanoes," says the poll's sponsor, SETI. "However, because that name has already been used in astronomy, and because the Roman god is not closely associated with Pluto, this proposal was rejected." (The IAU had specified that Pluto's moons had to be named after underworld figures from classical mythology.)